Once again it is time for the staff here at
CCHS to select the featured ghosts for our annual ghost walk. Woodlawn Cemetery is full of interesting dead
people but every year we can only chose four.
I’m not going to spoil you for who we’re doing this year, but I can tell
you about who we’re not doing. Here’s a few highlights from this year’s list
of rejects whose graves were too inconveniently placed to make the roster.
John Arnot
John
Arnot came to Elmira in 1819 to open up a dry goods store, J. Arnot &
Co. He started small, but quickly sought
to expand his business interests and holdings.
He eventually became a major share holder in companies involved in
transportation, coal, lumber, real estate, public utilities and banking. At the time of his death in 1873 he was worth
several million dollars.
Clarissa Thurston
Clarissa
Thurston ran a ladies’ seminary on North Main Street, Elmira, which she
established in 1847. She was also an
accomplished writer having published a series of magazine articles mostly on
religious or educational topics.
Thurston was also the author of three books: Home Pleasures, Memoir of a
Lady and Light From History or the Story of Fulfilled Prophecy. She was killed in 1884 when struck by a train
while walking to church.
Frank Bundy
Frank
Bundy was a local businessman and politician.
He owned the Bundy Lamp and Light Co. which made bicycle and train
lamps. What Bundy is most famous for,
however, is his rather unfortunate stint as the Elmira City Chamberlain. From 1898 to 1900, Bundy embezzled over
$30,000 of city funds and used it to throw parties.
Lear Green Williams
Lear Green was a slave
owned by a Maryland man when she met and fell in love with William Adams, a
free black man. She escaped to freedom
on a steamship disguised as her soon-to-be mother-in-law’s baggage. Green spent 18 hours crammed inside a steamer
trunk until they had safely completed their journey from Baltimore to
Philadelphia. Afterwards, the couple
headed to Elmira where they wed and settled down.
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